The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-01
FOR The UNIvERsALIST.
A FORTNIGHT AMONG THE
IRISH.

Have I said that the neighborhood
was in was Protestant one? Ii not, l
will say so now,-intens ely Protestant, as
the orange lilies in all the gardens testi
fed. There seemed to be only two sects,
the Episcopalian and the Presbyterian,
the former worshiped in the " church,
the latter in the meeting house." These
buildings are not erected in towns or
even hamlets, but stood quite isolated,
their parishes extending over many miles.
Before the disestablishment Of the Irish,
or English church, (Episcopalian0 the
rectors had immense properties in the
way of glebe lands. The rector of the
English church, Lower Comber, near
Comber Cloudy, had two townships, l
was told, and he had autocratic power
about laying in the rents and collecting
them. The present rector has only his
house and ten acres of land. His moneyed
salary could not learn. All these glebe
lands we're sold out in small parcels or
farms to the peasantry, by the govern
ment. A certain sum was paid down, and
then so much every year is to be paid
for thirty-nine years, when it becomes
the property of the farmers subject only
to the usual taxes, The sum to be paid
annually is small and cannot bear heavi-
ly on the farmers, except in rare cases.
Mr.. N. had TWEEN ty four acres, and this is
thought good farm for size. His annual
payment was less than $500. He has
his own peat, or fuel, oats enough for the
family's meal and his stock; potatoes
and garden stuff enough for each year;
hay and pastursge for two ponies, two
COWS and few sheep and calves. With
his butchering and occasional carrying OF
passengers to and from Derry he makes
a comfortable living. OF course there
are many cotters about, the servants OF
the farmers, or the -four mills, who have
no land, live in hired cabins, but all
have a garden and rent potato patch
and some little pasturage. But this is
one of the good parts of ireland and
bears silent but emphatic witness to what
might exist all over, il the people owned
their land, or we're in way to become
owners.
When Sunday came, I was invited to
go to the English church. as it is called,
for my host and hostess we're Episcopa-
liRns. We had lovely drive of about two
milee. The church is quite new, and a
very substantial stone building, though
not built after the Gothic idea. 1t was
just square building with the organ in
one end. the reading desk opposite and
pulpit off in a corner. the latter seeming
to me most miserable arrangement. /
enjoyed the service, as l always do that
of the English church, though am not
sure but would find it tiresome if / had
to hear it every Sunday. But the sermon
was the dresriest, gloomiest one think
ever heard. One OF the prominent men
in the parish had been buried the day
before, and his three pews we're heavily
draped with black, and all the family and
servants out arrayed in mourning. The
text was from Genesis, "Dust thou art
and unto dust thou shalt return" and it
was certainly the busiest sermon ever
listened to. The curse of ply steal death
seemed to be the topic, and he began and
ended with the curse. Never once did he
let the heavens open to that mourning
group. / listened till l got so nervous
that it seemed to me 1 was in my own
coffin and could feel the thud of the
gravel and earth as it fell in shovelfuls
upon the lid. And when, at last l got
out into the brilliant sunshine, l felt as
though had been buried and come up
YEARLY out Of my own grave. And yet
this rector is not gloomy, hard-hearted,
stern man by any means; but, l was told,
a really good clergyman, cheerful, ten
der, kind, doing an excellent work as a
pastor. was invited to go again at six
o'clock, but 1 declined, prefering to go